Mount and means for supporting and orienting optical devices



Patented Oct. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOUNT AND MEANS FORSUPPORTING AND ORIENTING OPTICAL DEVICES Marvin Bernard Johnson,Montgomery, Ala.

Application November 30, 1948, Serial No. 62,645

6 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to mounts which may be universallyoriented within certain angular limits, and to means whereby the samemay be remotely controlled; and, in particular, the invention relates tosuch mounts adapted to support various automotive accessory articles,such as rear-view mirrors, spot-lights, and reileotors; but it will beunderstood that the mount of the present invention and the means forselectively orienting the same may be used in various other applicationswhere an article is required to be selectively oriented within a givenangular field by remote control means, as, for example, a searchlightmounted on a tower and desired to be oriented from a station on theground.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a mount whichmay be oriented universally within a given angular field, and remotecontrol means whereby the same may be readily controlled.

A special object of the invention is to provide such a mount suited to`supporting a rear-view mirror of an automotive vehicle, and means forcontrolling the same, said means being capable of installation proximateto the driver of the vehicle. This special object contemplates a novel,simple, inexpensive, and practical rear-view mirroi' mount and means fororienting the same from controls placed upon the steering column, thedashboard, or any other suitable place near the drivers hand.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a mount suited tosupporting a spot-light of an automotive vehicle, and means forcontrolling the same, said means being situated, as above, proximate tothe driver of the vehicle.

It will of course be understood from the following that the mount may beused, in connecl tion with means for orienting the same situatedproximate to the driver of a vehicle, for supporting any other accessoryarticle of such a vehicle desired to be selectively oriented within agiven angular field, as, for example, a refiector or flashing dangersignal.

It will be understood from the following description, which is mainlyrestricted to the application of the mount and control means of thepresent invention as used in connection with controlling the orientationof a rear-view mirror of, say. a, tractor hauling a trailer, where suchmirror is inconveniently positioned with respect to the hand of thedriver of the tractor and avoidance of manual adjustment of the mirroris desirable for reasons of driving safety, that the of which aresubsequently suggested.

The invention essentially contemplates a. mount which may be universallyoriented within a given angular field and which, cooperating with meansremotely positioned, may be controlled by said means.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the mount itself. as designed withparticular reference to a rearview mirror of an automotive vehicle, andof proximately cooperating means for supporting and moving the same in avariety of angular po-` sitions relative to said means, the said meansbeing strictly in top plan presentation and the said mount being, here,twisted on two axes.

Fig. 2 is a combinational view of the mount, proximately cooperatingmeans for supporting and moving the same in a variety of angularpositions relative to said means, remote means for controlling saidfirst named means and therethrough said mount. and further meansinterconnecting the rst named two means. The mount itself is, by meansof a socket made part thereof, universally mounted on a ball-headed studsecured to a hydraulic jack; and both the jack and the mount are shown,here, in axial and elevational section; the remote means for controllingthe first named means, i. e., the hydraulic jack, is, essentially, apump, and is shown partly in axial section. Conduite for a hydraulicagent, such as oil, are shown, partly erased, connecting the pump withthe jack. The pump is at the lower part of the figure and the jack andmount are above.

In Fig. 2, a rear-view mirror, partly erased at its upper portion, andin axial section, is also shown. Fig. 2 may be further identified asbeing a section on the plane indicated by 2-2, Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is the section 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a schematic drawing of the front por tion of a truck ortractor, in plan, showing the invention applied thereto for the purposeof facilitating the control, from the cab, of a pair of rear-Viewmirrors. one on each side of the ve. hicle.

The upper portion of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show, respectively, in axial andtransverse vertical sections, a hydraulic jack, more particularlydescribed below. Two similar jacks, indexed J, J, are schematicallyindicated in Fig. 4 on either side of a truck or tractor. The jack ofFigs. 1, 2, and 3 is designated in its entirety as J.

The hydraulic jack is assumed to be mounted in any suitable manneroutside the cab of a truck or tractor, and, preferably to be disposed soas to be axially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.Thus, where the jack is to be employed in connection with a rear-viewmirror, as shown in the drawing, that end of the jack to the left inFig. 2 is assumed to be toward the forward end of the vehicle; and themirror, 'as indicated in Fig. 2, is mounted on the jack to the right, ortoward the rear of the truck.

The jack J comprises a block II) which may be cylindrical, as shown, tothe rear, and half-round below and squared above to the front `(seeFigs. 1, 2, and 3). The block I0 is bored from its rear end at II, i2,I3, and I4 (see Fig. 3, particularly; compare Figs. 1 and 2) to providecylinders for pistons I5, I6, I1, and I8. Each pistonis squared at theinner' or forward end, and formed hemispherically at its outer or rearend (see Fig. 2). The bores at II, I2, I3, and I4 are spaced at 90intervals.

The uppermost bore at I I and that to the right side at I2 in Fig. 3(not seen in Fig. 2) are bot" tomed at I3 and 29 respectively (see Fig.1 with respect to index 29). Between the bottom of the bore at II andthe forward end of the piston i5 is provided a compression spring 2l(see Fig. 2) which normally operates to urge the piston I5 outwardlywith respect to the bore. Between the bottom of the bore at I2 and theforward end of the piston IB is provided another compression springsimilar to spring'2I and which normally operates to urge the piston itoutwardly with respect to the bore at I2.

The lowermost bore at I3 and that to the left side at I4 in Fig. 3(dotted in Fig. 2) are bottomed at 22 and 23 respectively (see Figs. 1and 2), and counterbored through to the forward end of the block I0 toform ports 24 and 25. Pistons I1 and i8 are provided with packing ringswithin their respective cylinders. See Fig. 2, wherein a packing ring 25is shown mounted in an annular groove 2l in piston I1. Here piston ISisseen only as a dotted outline.

That part of the bores at I3 and I4 forward of the pistons I1 and I8respectively is filled without oil or other suitable hydraulic agent 28,which is supplied either through ports 24 and 25, or through valves at29 and 35 communicating with a reservoir 3l bored into the top forwardand squared portion of the block I9 (see Figs. 1, 2, and 3). Thereservoir 3l is covered by a cap 32 having a screwdriver slot 33 in thecenter thereof and a breathing hole 34.

Universally mounted on the ball end 35 of a stud 36 screwed into therear end, and center, of block I0, `and locked therein by a nut 31, is asocketed mount 33, formed of two formed plate portions 39 and 49,riveted together as at 4I, 4I, 4I (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3), and providedwith screw holes 42, 42, 42. 42, to facilitate the attachment thereto ofa rear-view mirror back 43, the mirror of which, shown in Fig. 2 only,is designated 44.

In Fig. 2, as well as in Fig. 3, the mount 33 is shown in solid lines tobe positioned normally with respect to the axis of the block I0. In Fig.2,

dotted outlines a and b indicate abnormal posi-- tions of the mount withrespect to said axis. In Fig. l the mount, shown without the mirrorattached thereto, is seen to be twisted with respect to said axis.

Through ports 24 and 25 the bores I3 and I4 are supplied with oil undervariable pressure by means of two conduits and 45 of suitable length(shown interrupted by dotted lines in Fig. 2)

4 connecting the jack J with a suitable pump P preferably located on thesteering column of the vehicle, but, of course, locatable at anyconvenient place within the cab.

The conduits 45 and 46 communicate respectively with cylinders 41 and 48within the pump P which are provided with pump pistons 49 and 50, eachof which is surrounded by a packing ring 5I. The pistons 49 and 50 arecontinued outwardly with respect to the cylinders to which they relateby threaded extensions 5Ia and 52 respectively. Extension 52 is engagedby a bevel gear 53, prevented from moving axially by a shoulder 54 and abracket 55; and extension 5Ia is engaged by a bevel gear 56, preventedfrom moving axially by a double bracket 51. Between the two cylinders 41and 48 and parallel to them is a bore 58 slidably containing the end ofa rod 59 on which is xed a double bevel gear 60 adapted to engage bevelgear 53 when the rod is positioned as shown in solid lines in Fig. 2 andto engage bevel gear when the rod is positioned as indicated in dottedlines in the same figure. The outer end of the rod 59 is provided with aknob 6I by means of which the rod may be both rotated and moved axially.It will be plain that when the double bevel gear 60 engages bevel gear53 and is rotated in one direction the oil in cylinder 41 is dischargedthrough conduit 45 into the bore at I 3 in the hydraulic jack J therebyvforcing piston I1 rearwardly; and that when thedouble bevel gear, soengaging bevel gear 53, is rotated in the opposite direction, relievingpressure against the oil in the system, the compression spring 2I forcespiston I5 against the mount and the latter, by toggling on the ball andsocket connection, forces piston I1 inwardly and in consequence forcesoil in the system into cylinder 41. Likewise it will be plain that whenthe double bevel gear 6G engages bevel gear 56 and is rotated in onedirection the oil in cylinder 48 is discharged through conduit 46 intothe bore at I4 in the hydraulic jack J thereby forcing piston I8rearwardly; and that when the double bevel gear, so engaging bevel gear56, is rotated in the opposite direction, relieving pressure against theoil in the system, the compression spring within'the bore at I2 forcespiston I6 against the mount and the latter, by toggling on the ball andsocket connection, forces piston I8 inwardly and in consequence forcesoil in the system into cylinder 48. I

In Fig. 4, which is a schematic plan view of the forward part of a truckor tractor having a rear'- view mirror mounted, according to theinvention, on either side, two sets of oil lines are indicated as L, L,communicating between jacks J, J, and pumps P, P. The steering column isindexed S.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the system described may beemployed for a spotlight, reiiector, danger signal, or another auto-vmotive accessory; and might well be utilized in many applications notassociated with automotive vehicles. It is to be understood that nothingherein is intended to limit the invention to its applicability tosupporting and selectively orienting automotive accessories.

It will also be understood that the invention contemplates mechanicalequivalents such as the use of two oil lines rather than the combinationof a single oil line offset mechanically by a compression spring.

I claim: n

l. The combination of a socketed mount for supporting an optical device,a housing, a ball headed stud mounted centrally of said housing, saidsocketed mount being swivelly supported on the ball head of said stud, apair 0f pistons carried by said housing and engaging the rear of thesocketed mount on opposite sides of its swivel support, a spring urgingone of said pistons toward said mount, hydraulic means urging said otherpiston toward said mount, and a pump for supplying hydraulic pressure tosaid hydraulic means.

2. The combination of claim l, including a mirror supported on saidmount,V said mount being carried outside the cab of a motor vehicle, andsaid pump being mounted within said cab, whereby said mirror may beoriented from Within said cab.

3. The combination of a socketed mount for supporting an optical device,a housing, a ball headed stud mounted centrally of the housing, saidsocketed mount being swivelly supported on the ball head of said stud,four parallel cylinders mounted on said housing and arranged at 90stations of position around the stud as a common center, a pistonslidably carried in each cylinder, and means in each cylinder for urgingthe pistons against the mount.

4. The combination of a socketed mount for supporting an optical device,a housing, a ball headed stud mounted centrally of the housing, saidsocketed mount being swivelly supported on the ball head of said stud,four parallel cylinders mounted on said housing and arranged at 90stations of position around the stud as a common center, a pistonslidably carried in each cylinder,

a compression spring within two of said cylinders spaced apart forurging the pistons outwardly, hydraulic means within the other twocylinders, said pistons engaging the back of said socketed mount, and apump arranged to supply hydraulic uid to the latter two cylinders.

5. The combination recited in claim 4, said pump arranged to selectivelysupply fluid to each of the latter two cylinders to cause said mount toswivel on the ball head of the stud.

6. The combination recited in claim 5, includ-V ing a mirror supportedon said mount, said mount and said cylinders being carried on theoutside of the cab of a vehicle, and said pump being mounted within thecab whereby said mirror may be oriented from within the cab.

M. BERNARD JOHNSON.

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